Everything about beeswax

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Beeswax (cera alba) is a natural wax produced by honey bees. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive. The hive workers collect and use it to form cells for honey storage and larval and pupal protection within the beehive. Chemically, beeswax consists mainly of esters of fatty acids and various long-chain alcohols. 

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How is the beeswax made?

The new wax is initially glass-clear and colorless, becoming 

opaque after mastication and adulteration with pollen by the

hive worker bees, becoming progressively more yellow or brown

by incorporation of pollen oils and propolis.

 

The wax scales are about

three millimetres (0.12 in) across and 0.1 mm (0.0039 in) thick,

and about 1100 are required to make a gram of wax. 

Worker bees use the beeswax to build honeycomb cells.

For the wax-making bees to secrete wax, the ambient

temperature in the hive must be 33 to 36 °C (91 to 97 °F).

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Allow gravity to drain as much honey from the wax

as possible. Let the wax drsin for few days. 

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Place the drained wax in a plastic pail anf top it

off with warm (not hot) water. 

Drain the wax through a colander or a honey strainer and

repeat this washing process until the water runs clear.

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Place the washed wax in a double boiler for melting. 

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Strain the melted beeswax through a couple of layers

of cheesecloth to remove any debris. 

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The rendered wax can be poured into a block mold

for later use. 

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Usage of the beeswax

Candle-making has long involved the use of beeswax, which burns readily and cleanly, and this material was traditionally prescribed for the making of the Paschal candle or "Easter candle". Beeswax candles are purported to be superior to other wax candles, because they burn brighter and longer, do not bend, and burn "cleaner".

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Beeswax has been used since prehistory as the first plastic, as a lubricant and waterproofing agent, in lost wax casting of metals and glass, as a polish for wood and leather and for making candles, as an ingredient in cosmetics and as an artistic medium in encaustic painting.

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Beeswax is an ingredient in surgical bone wax, which is used during surgery to control bleeding from bone surfaces; shoe polish and furniture polish can both use beeswax as a component, dissolved in turpentine or sometimes blended with linseed oil or tung oil; modeling waxes can also use beeswax as a component; pure beeswax can also be used as an organic surfboard wax. 

 

 

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Do beeswax candles clean the air?

Pure Beeswax Candles burn with almost no smoke or scent and clean the air by releasing negative ions into the air. These negative ions can bind with toxins and help remove them from the air.

 

Beeswax candles are often especially helpful for those with asthma or allergies and they are effective at removing common allergens like dust and dander from the air. Beeswax candles also burn more slowly than paraffin candles so they last much longer.

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What are the benefits of burning beeswax candles?

Beeswax candles produce negative ions when burned,

and those ions help to neutralize pollutants in the air.

This helps eliminate dust, odors, and mold in the

atmosphere, easing allergy and asthma symptoms

and improving breathing for anyone nearby.

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Are beeswax candles healthy?

In addition to supporting sustainable beekeeping,

the consumption of beeswax candles is also good for

the air we breathe. Unlike paraffin candles, which are

made with a petroleum-based wax, beeswax candles 

have a completely clean non-toxic burn and produce

negative ions when burning.

Because beeswax candles are all natural, they do not

produce toxic byproducts and heavy soot when

burned.

Some types of candles produce minute traces

of chemicals known to be carcinogenic, but this is not

a problem with beeswax candles.

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The simple act of burning a candle has relaxing properties and can aid in stress relief and meditation. The mildly sweet, natural honey scent of beeswax candles can aid that relaxation without being overwhelming as artificially scented candles can become.

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Do beeswax candles smell?

You won't smell that familiar petroleum tarry scent of paraffin when you light a beeswax candle. Instead you will smell the delicate scent of natural sweet honey. Beeswax comes that way naturally and no artificial additives or scent can replicate that. ... Beeswax candles won't burn up quickly.

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